The Fate Of Phoenix Wright
by Kyasarina
Summary: Phoenix Wright had fallen off a burning bridge and was now apparently dead. However, this "Sissel" character seemed convinced that he could change the spiky-haired, blue-suited-lawyer's fate. Spoilers for PW:AA:T&T, AJ:AA and Ghost Trick. Oneshot.


**After playing Ghost Trick, then thinking about the times Phoenix miraculously escaped from death with a cold or broken ankle, this plot bunny bit me. **Actual spoken dialogue is from "Bridge To The Turnabout". **Bold thoughts are Phoenix's**. _Italic thoughts are Sissel's. _**Spoilers for PW: AA: T&T: Bridge To The Turnabout, minor AJ: AA spoilers and major Ghost Trick spoilers. **

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The last word that Phoenix Wright ever heard while he was still alive was spoken by his friend Larry, who had screamed Phoenix's nickname as the flames finally won the battle with the wood of the bridge. Phoenix's own screams of terror weren't really words, after all.

It was ironic. He had first met Mia Fey because of this bridge, who he'd found the path to his life's ambition though, although he'd not known about the bridge until Mia had told him about her first meeting with Dahlia Hawthorne. Dahlia. She'd ruined his life, yet his last thoughts going to be of her. Phoenix might have smiled weakly if it wasn't for the life-or-death situation. He'd thought that he'd let go of the past. A sudden, panicked thought occurred to Phoenix. He really was in a life-or-death situation Nobody survived falling into this particular river. Unless one counted Dahlia, but she was probably half-demon anyway by the way she acted.

Gravity pulled Phoenix around from the rapidly shrinking face above and he saw how close the frothy ice-cold water was now. He was going to die, he knew it. Everything seem so slow, like seconds were being drawn out to make the wait even more excruciating.

Impact.

Phoenix felt his bones break and everything was cold. The water pulled and buffeted him but he couldn't really feel it. All was ice. Was… he going… into… shock…? Gradually, the darkness took over until it was impossible for it to become any darker. All that could change… was the darkness lifting. And it did. Slowly, yet very surely, everything turned red and flickering. The only thing that seemed to be vaguely life-like was a small black cat who was staring at him with big yellow eyes.

**It's… not so cold here… did I survive… or…?**

_Sorry, no. You're in the land of the dead now, Mr Wright. _

**Wright…? That's me… isn't it?**

_Yes. Your name is Phoenix Wright. You're a spiky-haired blue-suit-wearing lawyer. _

All his memories suddenly came rushing back to Phoenix. He'd seen Ms Deauxnim's dead body and a hysterical Sister Bikini. And Maya was over the other side of Dusky Bridge. When he'd got there, he'd seen the bridge was in flames but had crossed it anyway. The bridge had given way and he'd fallen down into the wintry water, presumably dying in the process.

**The land of the dead? So… that means that… **_**I'm**_** dead. **

_Bingo._

**Damn it! What's going to happen to Iris now! She couldn't have actually killed Ms Deauxnim! She's innocent! I'm sure of it!**

_Well… you're not going to stay dead. _

**Huh? What are you talking about? I'm dead! What can change that?**

The black kitten padded up to and gazed at Phoenix's spirit - which had changed from the confused blue flame of the newly-deceased to his own helpfully-described appearance - and blinked meaningfully. Phoenix realised something.

**Wait… you're the one who's talking to me?**

_Yes. My name is Sissel. I can go back four minutes before your death and save you with my ghost tricks. _

**Ghost tricks?**

_You know. Manipulating objects to avert your fate. If there's one thing I've learnt since my own death, it's that small changes can alter massive things. You don't think I can do it? Is it because I'm a cat? I mean, I even averted my _own _death. _

**Of course not! Lots of my cases have depended on animals! Like that parrot I cross-examined! And Missile!**

_Missile? Is he by any chance a brave little doggie - I mean, Pomeranian who likes barking? _

**Uh, no. I think he's a Shiba Inu and he definitely loves Samurai Dogs. **

_Wait. You're talking about the brave_ detective_ doggie, aren't you? I know his grandpa well. _

**Really? Wait a minute. Why are you here? It seems like too much of a coincidence. **

_There's a detective temporarily working near here who's a fan-boy of one of my 'owners'. He looks after Missile - senior senior's - grandson. I was visiting him when I felt a malevolent presence up this mountain and decided to try and find out what it was. Then I saw you falling. _

**That fan-boy… is his name Detective Gumshoe?**

_That's his name._

**How the hell does he always manage to be around for crimes!**

_You're here too, aren't you? By the way, that suit… you're not related to a detective from, say, ten years ago?_

**Not that I'm aware of. Why?**

_No reason. It's time to go back four minutes before your death. _

Phoenix felt strange as he felt time go everything was suddenly replayed in front of his eyes.

The smouldering remains of Dusky Bridge flickered in the dark night. Larry was there, humming to himself with little snatches of talk about muses, inspiration and flight. Further away than Phoenix could see, a man yelled out. Phoenix knew that it was his past self, running to tell Maya what had happened. After jumping guiltily, Larry asked Phoenix what he was doing out there. After all, it was late at night. Phoenix, startled by Larry's sudden appearance, screamed.

"D-don't scare me like that, Larry! I almost had a heart attack!" yelled past Phoenix, breathing heavily from running up hills. Larry said something idiotic about how his name wasn't Larry, but past Phoenix had no time for his games now. "Larry, hurry up and call the police! I'm going to the Inner Temple!"

Larry looked amazed at his friend's idiocy. "D-don't be stupid! The bridge is nothing but a burning wreck right now!"

"Listen to me! There's been a murder! Here! At the temple!" Larry yelled out his disbelief and Phoenix continued. "The murderer might have fled across the bridge! I have to make sure Maya is safe!" Larry stuttered out something but Phoenix interrupted it. "Please! Call the police! I've got to go! …Get outta my way, Larry!"

Shoving Larry aside and then ignoring his protests about danger, Phoenix hurtled over the bridge. Then, both men - and ghosts - heard the ominous cracking sound that had signed Phoenix's death warrant. Larry turned pale and rushed to the side of the bridge, yelling Phoenix's name as he heard his friend's screams.

_And that's that. Why did you run across the bridge anyway?_

**I must've been crazy… I knew how dangerous it was, I did, but I still went for it. **

_This is going to be tricky… there's no chance for you once you've fallen like that. All there is to use… is the burning bridge. There's some cores there, I'll do my best with them. If nothing works, I'll just use the next step. _

There was another disconcerting feeling and suddenly the scene was replaying, but this time, the entire scene changed quickly between normal and ghostly. After using core handholds to climb the steep cliff quickly, Sissel's blue spirit danced across the bridge. It hovered around a particularly rotting plank of wood which wasn't burning. It snapped cleanly by itself.

**So that's what he means by "ghost tricks"…**

_Yes. Hey, Mr Wright. You were talking about telling this Maya what had happened at the other side. So, there was a murder? _

**Yes. It was Ms Elise Deauxnim. Oh, she's a famous writer-**

_I know. Kamila - one of my 'owners', the good detective's daughter - read me one of her stories. It felt like I had been purified. I'm sorry she's gone. The little lady will be upset too. _

…**Everybody says that about her books. I really should read them sometime. Wait, can't you go and save her? **

_I can try but…_

The spirit continued to weave around the bridge, re-tying broken ropes, breaking other planks in a pattern that Phoenix couldn't distinguish. Faint shouts alerted Phoenix to the passing time.

**Here I come…! **Phoenix warned Sissel.

_Yeah, I see you. _

Phoenix watched his argument with Larry again. **I can't hear us.**

_You're too far away. _

**Oh, right. That'd explain it. **Phoenix re-focused his attention on Sissel. **Why are you trying to save me anyway?**

_It all started when I died the first time. I ended up saving people to try and remember who I was. I just ended up saving people for the hell of it afterwards. Only those who died near Temsik radiation get these powers anyway. Other spirits are just… there. _

**But they can be channelled to do things. My friend - Maya. She's a spirit medium. **

_Really? A spirit medium here tonight…that's worrying. _

**Well, there's two of them actually. Why's it worrying?**

_No reason - oh. There's no other cores I can manipulate. I'll have to re-start. Unless…_

**Sissel! Incoming! **Past Phoenix ran onto the bridge. **Damn. It's over, we'll have to-**

_Heh. There's still one other route we can try. Just got to manipulate a few more things._

Past Phoenix's face turned to panic as the plank of wood he stood on gave way. The ghost pair travelled to the ghost world then back, Sissel manipulated another rope. _Perfect. _The blue spirit ghosted along a few cores and headed straight for past Phoenix.

_You know when I said there was a last step I could take? I meant this! _With that confident sentence, Sissel reached out to past Phoenix and possessed him.

**I didn't know you could do that.**

_It takes many years for powers to change and I have had many years. I've been alive for a lot longer than people expect with my unchanging body. Now, I'm going to save you! _Past Phoenix grabbed hold of the end of a rope that he wouldn't have noticed if he'd still been in control of his own mind. _You were near the other end, you were too near the shallow end and you fell awkwardly. This way, you'll be injured less than fatally. _

Sissel made past Phoenix relax and let go. _I'd say you've got a much better chance surviving when you don't splatter yourself on the rocks over there. That's one part of your fate averted!_

**It's not over yet though. I'll still go into shock and drown. **

_Don't worry. You're actually already unconscious, there wasn't enough time for you to fight back. And the drowning? That's why I manipulated the bridge instead of just possessing you first. _

**Wait! I've - you've - we've got a rope! Looks kind of burnt, but it should do. It's been partially burnt off one end and you manipulated the other end to come loose.**

_If you lose your job, Mr spiky-haired blue lawyer, you've got a bright career in detective work. I'd put in a good word for you to my owner. He's high up in detective work, you know. _Past Phoenix's ghostly eyes darted around the scene. Seeing a possibility, he threw the rope out to a particularly outstanding rock. Sissel's spirit, for the final touch, travelled along the rope and tightened it around the rock so it wouldn't slip, went back to past Phoenix before he could get confused about where he was and clambered out of the water of death.

**Heh, I'll be sure to remember that.**

_You might have a cold or a few broken bones now, but you'll be alive. It's time to get back to the new future._

**Hey, Sissel. Will I… ever see you again?**

_Sure. Just ask Detective Gumshoe to see Missile junior junior, tell him and he'll tell me. Then I'll arrange for it somehow and we can see each other again. Or the easier way would be for you to be killed when I'm nearby. _

**Yeah, I'll be **_**sure**_** to do that. **

_You recognise sarcasm. That's a good trait. So long, spiky-haired blue lawyer. Watch out for the evil spirits. There's a bad feeling about his place tonight._

**Sure will. Take care of yourself, Sissel. **

_You too. Try not to die soon. And good luck in your trials to come. _

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Seven years had passed since Dusky Bridge had been struck by lightning. Seven years had passed since Phoenix Wright's last trial. One hour had passed since Phoenix Wright had been hit by a car. Didn't people nowadays look where they were going? Phoenix would have sued the driver - after getting his new young apprentice to find him - if it wasn't for the simple, unavoidable fact that Phoenix knew.

**I'm… dead again. Aren't I?**

_Yes, it seems that way. At least you had the decency to die somewhere I can manipulate easily. _

**Thanks, Sissel. I really am a lucky guy for dying when you're around. **

_Yes, because dying is such a lucky thing. Now, let's replay events, shall we…? Maybe I could use the broken car mirror somehow… _


End file.
